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Friday, March 2, 2018

Amateur Detective Jake Vincent Not Ready for Retirement!

Deadfall Lake - Mt. Shasta

My name is Jake Vincent. After a hectic, thirty-five years of traveling around the world on business, I was finally retired. My wife and I built our retirement home among the tall conifer forest in a small mountain resort town in Northern California. I swore never to go near another airport...ever! Well, maybe not that long.

I looked forward to doing nothing but reading, writing about

some of my travel experiences, playing golf, and exploring the mountain back roads on my 2003 Vespa motor scooter. Barb and I could have those leisurely chats about all the this-and=that of our lives without interrupting phone calls and faxes...For all of these fifty-three years, my loving wife has remained the quiet and calm port in the storms that hit all marriages...

My business occupation had involved security risk analysis of large industrial facilities, military sites, US embassies, nuclear sites, intelligence-gathering branches of our government, and other sites prone to intrusion attacks by the nasty criminals of the world. I did a bit at protecting mankind from the bad guys. I pondered my new life, and was fully aware of the stark change. Was I really ready to let go of what was a unique, fun, and exciting time of traveling the world?

~~~

Mystery at Deadfall Lake

By Terry McGhee

As a senior citizen who retired, moved into a log cabin, and never stopped "working" (yes, writing reviews is work, even though it's fun for me), I was immediately drawn to the main character, Jake Vincent, who, after building a cabin in the woods of the Klamath Mountains of Northern California and

settled in, it wasn't long before the couple began to wonder...just what do you do when retired?

Jake had just got done reading the local newspaper--the second time--cover to cover, but when Barb put down her book, she saw a short story that Jake had missed...in the "blast from the past" section...They read about a cold case from 17 years ago when a young couple went on a hike and was never heard from again. The key part of the article was that the reporter asked if anyone had any current information that might justify re-opening the case. It was Barb that suggested that he dig into the mystery from so long ago. Before it was over, they both might have regretted that day they chose to get involved...

As I put the key in the ignition, Ichecked the rearview mirror andnoticed an old pickup truck, paintedwith a gray primer, parked about ahalf block down the street. It hadn'tbeen there when I arrived. Therewas a guy in the driver's seat witha baseball cap pulled low over hiseyes, and he was definitely lookingmy way...The truck was pulling outinto the street. The truck drove pastmy jeep slowly, the driver giving ahard stare in my direction. His capprevented me from really seeingany facial features. Was myimagination running wild?...I shook my head as if to rid mythoughts about a mysterious spytailing me...~~~

Revitalized almost immediately, Jake first went to the town police station. Inspector Hannity Inspector, knowing he was retired, immediate asked why he would be asking about the cold case; but after Jake presented his work credentials--and admitted he was bored--the officer agreed to share the case!

Basically, there wasn't anything in the file other than that the couple seemed normal--hadn't been in trouble in any way and their grades were above average... Wendy's mother still lived in town so Jack had his first step determined after he talked further with the Inspector. Once he got as much information from him, and got approval to proceed, Jack immediately proceeded... He had already been hooked from the time he had read the article!

But after just a few contacts, Jake noticed there might be somebody following him!

Fortunately, there were three of Wendy's classmates still in town and were happy to help if they could... and learned of at least one possible villain--Al Jerkovick! Quite a name for a villain, right? LOL

And they had seen the old gray pickup truck around town but did not know who drove it...

And it was after the meeting with them that Jake's vehicle was damaged--the front windows had been broken out and now covered the seats!

After discovering that Jerkovick was in prison and soon up for parole, Hannity and Jake were soon working with the local police there to bring them up to date of his possible connection to the cold case... The investigation continued on with normal police procedural interviews, but as more and more was discovered, the FBI was soon involved...

Jake was now thinking it was a good thing since he'd been growing more and more concerned and overwhelmed...

All of a sudden, I heard a loud bang! The picture window shattered with sharp shards of glass showering me and my desk. “Holy shit!” I yelled as I swiveled my chair and hit the floor next to the desk. Wham! My forehead banged against the edge of the desk and I saw stars for a split second. I reached up and felt blood. I crawled around the side of the desk for cover. A nasty bump was growing on my throbbing forehead. I looked up at the shattered window and then the opposite wall. High up near the ceiling I saw what my brain was telling me. There was a neat bullet hole in the wall about six inches from the ceiling of my office.

This is the first amateur detective (cozy mystery) in which the amateur looked realistically into what was being found and knew that it was now a police case... I appreciated that since some of the books in the genre have the detective walking into some really dangerous situations. I also appreciated how the civilian investigator was molded gracefully into the ongoing case followup. I am sure he was permitted to continue to a great extent because of his former government activities, but the relationship with the police was respectful and considerate, while ensuring that Jake's personal attacks which had continued were stopped and he was safe...

And, then, Jake would have an idea, go off on his own...well, he wasn't totally willing to give up on "his" case...

The book is steady, intriguing, as people became involved and clues were identified. It's a solid cold case murder mystery that keeps readers interested through to the end...But Jake and Barb? They were both ready for that vacation away from it all! If you enjoy cozy/amateur detective mysteries, I think you'll happily follow Jake through this cold case and look forward to the next in series. Highly recommended...

GABixlerReviews

Terry McGhee was born in San Francisco, and grew up in Northern Calif. He received his BS and MBA degrees from California universities.

Working in technical sales and marketing in high end security electronics, he traveled the world on business logging 1.7 million air miles working in 77 foreign countries over a 35 year business career.

Mr. McGhee and his wife retired to their dream home which they designed and built. The author enjoys golf, hiking, reading, photography, writing, and exploring his local area on his Vespa motor scooter.

MYSTERY AT DEADFALL LAKE is the first published title for this writer. It is available at all bookstores and Amazon.com. A retired security professional in a small resort town offers his pro-bono services to help with a 17 year old cold case. His life is threatened by a person, or persons unknown.

THE AUTHOR'S 2ND BOOK TITLE, WORLD TRAVEL TALES, was published July 23, 2014. These stories are true experiences of a 35 year world business traveler...some GOOD, BAD, UGLY, AND HUMOROUS.

The author's 3rd book, Mystery on the Seine was published May 3rd 2016. This novella is the sequel to Mystery at Deadfall Lake.

The 3rd Jake Vincent novel, THE AWAKENING, released Sept 2017, deals with a changing America. The majority of Her citizens display a growing distaste for persons and organizations that are endeavoring to weaken the country. Jake gets caught up in an FBI investigation that attempts to identify those elements of society that are threatening America's greatness and exceptionalism. Murder is being committed to intimidate. The novel is controversial. Any relationship of some names and places to real persons is strictly coincidental. All are fictional creations of the author.

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Here's BRH Feedback--Cool!

6/17 Just saw your review on Amazon and then visited your site. Holy Smoke! As usual, I was amazed at what a fabulous job you did, reviewing the book and adding in all that related material. I was particularly thrilled that you included the book trailer I put on Utube. You adding it to your review made me very happy. In fact, I had a big smile on my face the whole time I looked at what you'd done. I even listened to the violin concerto and watched the video of Dog Hill. Every year it gets harder and harder to bring a new book to the attention of potential readers. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have you as an ally in that endeavor. Thank you so much for all you do for me and for other writers. There's no-one else like you. And that's no exaggeration.With profound gratitude, I remain, Your Friend, Don

Thank you. Your commitment to your craft is wonderful. Whether it's one star or 5, your reviews are detailed, considerate, and most of all, beneficial to the prospective reader.

What an amazing presentation. Stellar. I never expected anything like that.

Do you have a separate link that I can share? I'd love to post this everywhere I can. You did such a fabulous job.cheers Connie

Thank you so much for your glowing review of my new book. Your review really highlighted all the things that I try to incorporate in my books - they're the very things I want as a reader. I'm nearly finished writing the next book in the series - Walker and Munoz are back, and interestingly as you referenced in your review, this time it's personal. Again, thank you.

I'd read your amazing review before I looked at my Facebook page and was blessed. Hitting the link you posted, I was surprised for few would have gone to so much trouble, fewer still know that Lauren Bacall (born Betty Joan Perske) was Sephardic and bequeathed a large amount of primary source information about the Sephardim to a university, which I was able to view online when corroborating Naomi's story. Your review stands as one of the highlights of this profoundly dyslectic authors’ life. Thank & bless you heart emoticon

I thought I'd reach out to you for your heartfelt review on my novel. It was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes that someone was so moved by my tale... That it resonated that deeply with someone. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone. Signed...

Wow, this is the most awesome blog post I've ever seen. Thank you for writing it! grin emoticon

I was thrilled with the details you offered in my review - like a literary movie trailer built on suspense and intrigue. I'm glad you're still reviewing books by aspiring authors like me. We need people like you! Keep up the good work and maintain that passion, Glenda!

Words fail me. Hi Glenda, I visited your review website today and was thrilled to see your marvelous features relating to Ms. Cramer's book. I passed them along to the author, and she is very excited and deeply grateful for your attention.

Your review of the book is wonderfully anecdotal and insightful, and it will be helpful I believe as an introduction to readers approaching Ms. Cramer's work for the first time. I found the opening of the review to be quite touching, with a wonderful sense of personal experience that I believe is all too often missing in critical review publication. In the context of the article, your remembrances from childhood add a truly beautiful layer to the photopoem you present.We're very impressed by what you put together using the press kit materials, and we will do our best to provide exposure for your features through our mailing list and other avenues.I do look forward to reading your articles in the future.We appreciate your considering our book and thank you very much for your fine and generous review coverage,

Saw the review and treatment of THE BLOOD BETRAYAL on your site. Once again, you've amazed me with what you do. Fantastic, fabulous… No, those words aren't good enough to describe your work and you.

I wrote up a short piece about what you did, directing people to your site from mine. That was really interesting and something I've never seen anyone do before. Great job, and I'm glad you enjoyed the novel.

Yo my truly heartfelt thank you for your very generous and kind review! I appreciate very much the time and effort you put into this review for me, and your so graciously posting it in multiple locations.

Your blogsite is extremely professional and well-done! What you posted for me there has completely blown me away!

Thank you again very much for such a comprehensive and thoroughly entertaining review. It's one of the best reviews I have received and I'm very proud to have it. Most Gratefully,

Glenda, You review blew my mind. When I listened to the songs you inserted, they brought tears to my eyes. You added a dimension to my work that was missing. In the attachment I have attempted to answer your question about anger. Thank you so much for your raving review. There are no words in the English language to express the gratitude I feel for you. I wish you a wonderful and blessed day.

I've been sitting in my chair for nearly fifteen minutes, stuck in an infinite loop of visual digestion and stunned amazement because of what you put together on your site for The Doppler Affect review. The time alone that you put into crafting the page is humbling, but the creativity and flair adds a layer I've never seen in reviews. Of course, the frosting of your very positive evaluation makes it the best cake I've eaten yet! I was also amazed at how you could step away from any biases due to your preferred genre and frame it for others...thank you. My newest book, Patriot's Point, will be released imminently. The publisher wants to know if I knew of any one in particular who has blogs or review sites that I would want to use. I immediately thought of you. Thanks, Doug

Glenda, I am truly in awe of your reviews and your review style. I have never seen anyone do a review as you can do one. I was entertained, informed, enlightened and amazed. There should be awards for creative, insightful and captivating reviews -- and you should be a recipient. Thanks for reviewing my book. And thanks for giving it an aura and image and feel that only your review could give it. I am very appreciative. All the best, Patrick

During the period of time that you requested my story, I also had other blog sites asking for the book as well. I had received three eviews prior to yours, and although I am very happy to report that all three were positive and enthusiastic, your entire presentation of the book, from the actual commentary to the ambitious visuals, blew me away and has left me emotionally weak-kneed in gratitude. I am extremely touched by all that you had to say and how you visually presented the concept of the book. Please note that I will place your website on the book's Facebook page which will hopefully bring your blog site more readership. Again, please know how grateful I am for your emotionally thrilling review. You have certainly made my day, Glenda! With much appreciation, Author/The Poe Consequence

I wanted to make sure I got a chance to properly thank you for posting the wonderful review of The Medici Boy! It was terrific, not just because you like the book (thank you) but because your analysis was thoughtful and honest. You put your heart into it, (Photos were out of this world) and you wrote like a friend would (we think that’s the very best kind of review). I appreciate your time and passion for literature! We’ve been promoting the site, since you went live, and we’re going to continue to promote your site on Social Media throughout the month. Senior Publicist Blue Dot Literary

Dear Glenda, I have to start this response with a BIG WOW! I have been very gratified with my experience as a new writer for both my books now and am working on a third. However, your review is like nothing I've ever seen, and I consider it a great piece of writing and creativity in itself. Thank you so very much for your kind words and treatment of Millstone. Once again, thank you for this review. I plan to pass it on in every venue available to me. My best wishes to you JackH

Thank you so much for your glowing review of my new book. Your review really highlighted all the things that I try to incorporate in my books - they're the very things I want as a reader. I'm nearly finished writing the next book in the series - Walker and Munoz are back, and interestingly as you referenced in your review, this time it's personal. Again, thank you.

I'd read your amazing review before I looked at my Facebook page and was blessed. Hitting the link you posted, I was surprised for few would have gone to so much trouble, fewer still know that Lauren Bacall (born Betty Joan Perske) was Sephardic and bequeathed a large amount of primary source information about the Sephardim to a university, which I was able to view online when corroborating Naomi's story. Your review stands as one of the highlights of this profoundly dyslectic authors’ life. Thank & bless you heart emoticon

I thought I'd reach out to you for your heartfelt review on my novel. It was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes that someone was so moved by my tale... That it resonated that deeply with someone. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone. Signed...

JAFV I am stunned...

Wow, this is the most awesome blog post I've ever seen. Thank you for writing it! grin emoticon

I was thrilled with the details you offered in my review - like a literary movie trailer built on suspense and intrigue. I'm glad you're still reviewing books by aspiring authors like me. We need people like you! Keep up the good work and maintain that passion, Glenda!

Words fail me.

Hi Glenda, I visited your review website today and was thrilled to see your marvelous features relating to Ms. Cramer's book. I passed them along to the author, and she is very excited and deeply grateful for your attention.

Your review of the book is wonderfully anecdotal and insightful, and it will be helpful I believe as an introduction to readers approaching Ms. Cramer's work for the first time. I found the opening of the review to be quite touching, with a wonderful sense of personal experience that I believe is all too often missing in critical review publication. In the context of the article, your remembrances from childhood add a truly beautiful layer to the photopoem you present.We're very impressed by what you put together using the press kit materials, and we will do our best to provide exposure for your features through our mailing list and other avenues.I do look forward to reading your articles in the future.We appreciate your considering our book and thank you very much for your fine and generous review coverage,

Saw the review and treatment of THE BLOOD BETRAYAL on your site. Once again, you've amazed me with what you do. Fantastic, fabulous… No, those words aren't good enough to describe your work and you.

I wrote up a short piece about what you did, directing people to your site from mine. That was really interesting and something I've never seen anyone do before. Great job, and I'm glad you enjoyed the novel.

..my truly heartfelt thank you for your very generous and kind review! I appreciate very much the time and effort you put into this review for me, and your so graciously posting it in multiple locations.

Your blogsite is extremely professional and well-done! What you posted for me there has completely blown me away!

Thank you again very much for such a comprehensive and thoroughly entertaining review. It's one of the best reviews I have received and I'm very proud to have it. Most Gratefully,

You review blew my mind. When I listened to the songs you inserted, they brought tears to my eyes. You added a dimension to my work that was missing. In the attachment I have attempted to answer your question about anger. Thank you so much for your raving review. There are no words in the English language to express the gratitude I feel for you. I wish you a wonderful and blessed day. James Womack

WOW! What a beautiful post you did for ALMOST PERFECT ON YOUR I can’t imagine how much time you must have taken to create some thing so imaginative and special. I feel truly humbled and touched and quite unequal to saying how much it meant to me. A real present. You must be a very special person. I wish you were my neighbor and we could have a real chat over coffee. Maybe someday. But meanwhile know how wonderful your work made me feel and buoyed to keep on keeping on! Diane

I wanted to make sure I got a chance to properly thank you for posting the wonderful review of The Medici Boy! It was terrific, not just because you like the book (thank you) but because your analysis was thoughtful and honest. You put your heart into it, (Photos were out of this world) and you wrote like a friend would (we think that’s the very best kind of review). I appreciate your time and passion for literature! We’ve been promoting the site, since you went live, and we’re going to continue to promote your site on Social Media throughout the month. Senior Publicist Blue Dot Literary